4 The Business of Canadian Hog Farming Better Pork | August 2024 national pork HEADLINES CPC RECEIVES FUNDING FOR NEW ASF TOOL The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) was recently selected for funding to develop improved pen-side testing for African swine fever (ASF). The CPC received the news in May that their project titled ‘Development of a low-cost pen-side assay for rapid detection of African swine fever virus' was selected as part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) African swine fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). The goal of the project is to improve the Canadian pork industry’s emergency preparedness and to ensure pork producers are ready to manage the threat of ASF. To accomplish this, CPC will collaborate with McMaster University to develop an ASFMeter, which will be portable and low-cost to allow producers to diagnose ASF on-farm. “The support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is instrumental in advancing our efforts to combat ASF,” said CPC chair René Roy in a recent release from the council. “Our focus on developing a lowcost pen-side assay aligns with our commitment to proactive and innovative solutions for the swine industry.” The ASFIPP program prioritizes research promoting biosecurity in the swine industry, as a joint approach between the industry and government. It will provide up to $23.4 million over three years to address gaps in ASF prevention and develop tools for emergency response to outbreaks. “Animal diseases, including ASF, are a serious threat to Canada’s pork sector, and it’s vitally important that all orders of government and industry take steps to prevent and prepare,” said MacAulay, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “These projects are a key part of Canada’s efforts to prevent an ASF outbreak while ensuring our pork sector is ready to respond.” BP Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are exploring how pigs can play a role in the future of xenotransplantation. The transplantation of organs from one species to another, xenotransplantation, has previously been challenging due to the risk of rejection. The development of transgenic pigs could offer a solution that produces more suitable organs. “We are at the verge of a major change with how medicine is dealing with organ failure,” said Dr. Ali Honaramooz with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at USask in a recent release from the university. “USask has the perfect combination of having the College of Medicine with an organ transplant program, WCVM has expertise in creating transgenic pigs in a new way that gives us an advantage ... and VIDO is one of the few institutions in North America that can house large animals at containment Level 3. We have the right combination of expertise.” The release states that the research uses gene-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 to address two major biomedical challenges that have prevented successful xenotransplantation. These challenges are a carbohydrate in pig cells that does not exist in human organs, and the presence of retroviruses in pig cells. Honaramooz explained that public perception is another challenge that researchers will have to address. Many government agencies have regulated or restricted xenotransplantation, but after two successful pig-to-human transplants, the research team expects perspectives to change. “Public perception was hindering research,” he said. “Now we are seeing people walk out of the hospital with a pig kidney – now the public is going to think that could be a possibility to save the life of a loved one down the road.” The project is funded by the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Exploration program, which is designed to support ‘high risk, high reward’ research. BP - Emily Croft PIGS MAY AID ORGAN TRANSPLANTS Jodie Alred photo
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3